Window-shade catch-pulley.



A. N. FRIES.

WINDOW SHADE GATGH PULLBY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1910. V

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

maentoz UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT N. FRIES, or CINCINNATI, 01110.

To all whom it may concerns Belt-known that I, ALBERT N; FRIES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Window-Shade Catch-Pulleys, of which the following is a specification. 7 My invention relates to improvements in window shade catch pulleys.

One of its objects is-to provide improvements in the roller whereby the movements of the cord over the roller are more readily and perfectly controlled. 1

.Another ob ect is 'to provide improvements in the catchpulley. frame where thecord enters and leaves said frame, to assist in guiding the cord in the desired direction. 1

It further consists -in..certain details of form, combination and arrangement, all vof which. will bemore fully set forth inxthe description ofthe accompanying. drawings in which;

Figure l is a front elevation of my improved catch pulley. .Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same on line 2. 2. of Fig.

1. Fig. 3 isa similarsection on line :0. :0

of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a perspective view of.

the catch pulley frame fromthe rear.

In the accompanying drawings A represents the pulley or roller which has a deep cent-ral'encircling groove a, and at opposite sides in pairs are more shallow grooves a (1*, which diverge from the groove win a spiral direction and gradually decrease in depth. The length of the grooves a a belng less than one-third of the circumference of the roller, there being preferably four grooves a and four grooves a ar ranged equidistant apart on the circumference of the roller. The shallow portions of the grooves a a are preferably provided with cross notches a to assist in engaging and locking the cord. Opposite ends of the roller at a are cylindrical.

B represents the frame or housing in e which the pulley A is mounted or journaled upon .an axle b. v The housing B comprises two base or attachment plates Z) '6 arranged at substantially rightangles to each other and united at their meeting edges,

each of said. plates being provided with screw eyes I) b by means of which either plate may be attached to the Window frame or other support. The two plates 1) b are further united by the webs or plates 6 :Specification 0t Letters Patent. Iatented Aug. 30, 1910. Application filed January 24, 1910." Serial No. 539,802.

roller permits the cord to be led througlr either en'd'of said slot to or from the roller,

central groove and plate 5 lower portion of the window frame.

When so. employed the catch pulley at the the vertical section of the cord supporting the shade roller will enter between the lugs E E" and partly encircle the roller with the of the shade or preferably united to the free end of the cord from the lower end of the shade. By pulling on the free end of the into. the central groove of the I roller and will remain-therein as long as a pull is exerted on the free, end of the cord, which causes the cord to ride in the central groove of the pulley until the shade roller has been adjusted to the desired position, thereupon the pull on the free end of the cord is slackened, whereupon the slack cord engages the projection F, and is thereby diverted out of line with the central groove of the roller top of the window frame is attached so that195 free end of the cord hanging down in frontcord the cord will be directed by lugs'E E" 'whichsupport opposite ends of the r-tiller? axle b andserve to limit the end play of the roller; A slot D partly across the plates -b b in'line wit-h the central groove in. the" go and is made use of where the cord h =cani not be employed as indicated in dotted line E E representlugs or projections from plate I) which are located on opposite sides of the central groove of the roller and. extendto the plates-b and serve =.as lateral,

guides to direct the cord into the central" groove of the pulley. The plate 6 is pro- A' ided with a projection 'F' inlinewith the central groove of-the 'pul ley,"-an'd' which :serves as soon as the: cord isslackened to deflect the slackened cord to one side of the" central groove of the pulley to cause it to engage one orother of the side g1-oovcs'a'- a v l .and thus to automatically wedge and-lock the cord between the roller at one side of the- My improved. catch pulleyisada pted forgeneral use Wherever such a pulley -is des'ired,.and is further particularly designed for use where the shade roller is supported by a cordfrom theupper portion of the window .frame. byone cat-ch pulley-so that the shade roller may be raisedand lowered?- as desired, and where'the'lower portion. .of'. the shade-is adapted to be adjustedto and from the shade roller by meansof acordx: engaging a catch pulleyiattached. to the and caused to engage with one of the side grooves a a to lockthe cord betwee the pulley and plate '6 which is almost instantly effected, and before the shade roller has acquired any-momentum, even should the free end of the cord be entirely released by the operator. The lower catch pulley is set so that the vertical section of cord from the lower end of the shade will enter between the lugs E E, and is operated in the manner above described. The deep central groove of the roller prevents wear on the and before momentum has been acquired,

whether the slackened cord moves to the right or left of the central groove.

My improved supporting frame may be advantageously employed with pulleys of the form heretofore in use, but attains superior results when used with pulleys such as shown herein.

The mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modificamy invention.

Having described my invention, what claim is:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, a pulley having a central groove and diverging and diminishing grooves leading therefrom at opposite sides, and a supporting frame on which said pulley is pivotally mounted, said-frame comprising tWoplates tion without departing from the principle of arranged at substantially right angles and united at their meetinged es, with brackets carrying the pulley journa s, projecting lugs carried by one of said plates to guide a cord into the central groove of said pulley, and a projection carried by the other plate adapted to divert the cord when slack from said central groove into one of the diverging grooves. I

2. In a mechanism of the character de-, scribed, a pulley having a central groove and short diminishing grooves diverging in pairs from opposite sides of said central groove, and a supporting frame on which said pulley is pivotally mounted said frame having lugs at one edge to direct a cord into the central groove of said pulley, and a projection near the opposite edge adapted to divert the cord when slack from said central groove into a diverging groove.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a pulley having a central groove and short diminishing grooves, diverging in pairs from opposite sides of said central groove,-and a supporting frame comprisin two plates arranged at right angles an united at their meeting edges, said plates carrying supports for the pulley journal, lugs carried by one of said plates to guide a cord into the 'centralgroove of said pulley, and a projection carried by the other plate adapted to divert the cord when slack from said central groove into one of the diverging grooves.

In testimony whereof I have aflixcd my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT N. FRIES.

Witnesses:

B. R. Knorr, G; W. MILES. 

